MLB Player News

Betts went 4-for-5 with a run in a loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.

All four knocks were singles, but it was still a promising performance after Betts went 1-for-16 over his previous five games. The star shortstop is in the midst of a quiet season offensively, as his .685 OPS through 78 contests is easily on pace for a career-worst mark. It's worth noting that Betts was carrying a .657 OPS before collecting three hits on the same date (Aug. 5) last year, spurring a hot stretch that resulted in an .892 OPS across his final 47 contests, so there's at least a precedent for those hoping the 2018 AL MVP can turn things around before the end of the campaign.

Valdez is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Milwaukee.

Valdez has really been fighting it at the plate lately. He's 0-for-13 with 11 strikeouts so far in August, and over his last 15 contests is just 5-for-45 with 35.5 percent strikeout rate. He will get a day Thursday to regroup while Ronny Simon fills in in right field for the Pirates.

Springs (hip) was able to restart a throwing program Wednesday after landing on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

The Athletics placed Springs on the shelf due to a fatigued right hip, an injury that's been plaguing him throughout the season. An MRI on the hip returned negative for an acute injury, and the fact that Springs is already throwing again seemingly indicates that he didn't suffer any sort of major setback coming out of his most recent start Friday and may have just been placed on the IL for the purpose of getting a reset. Though Springs could be physically ready to go when first eligible to return from the IL on Aug. 16, the Athletics won't have much incentive to rush him back or guarantee him a rotation spot once he returns. The veteran southpaw has posted a bloated 6.17 ERA and 1.48 WHIP this season and will likely be headed for free agency this winter, as the Athletics hold a $15 million club option on his contract for 2027 that they will almost certainly decline.

Jobe (elbow) will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Saturday's game in San Francisco, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Jobe will be making his first appearance in the majors since he underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2025. The right-hander looked sharp in five rehab starts, posting a 1.76 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB in 15.1 innings. He threw 69 pitches in his most recent rehab outing, so Jobe will be somewhat limited from a pitch-count perspective versus the Giants.

Muncy went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in a loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.

With Los Angeles down 7-1 in the eighth inning, Muncy began a Dodgers rally by slugging a three-run blast to right-center field. The team was able to close the gap to one run in the same frame but ultimately suffered its sixth straight loss. For Muncy, the long ball snapped a six-game stretch without an extra-base hit or an RBI. The veteran third baseman has posted a .218/.306/.527 slash line with five home runs, 12 RBI, eight runs and a stolen base over 16 games since the All-Star break.

Guerrero (hamstring) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Cubs.

Guerrero will miss a second straight start as he battles some hamstring tightness and general fatigue. He's considered day-to-day and doesn't appear to be a candidate at this point for the injured list. Kazuma Okamoto will again fill in at first base, Ernie Clement will shift to third base and Luis Urias will occupy second base for the Blue Jays.

Altavilla opted out of his minor-league contract with the Royals on Wednesday and is now a free agent, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Altavilla has made 38 appearances this season at the Triple-A level between the Twins and Royals organization, logging a 6.09 ERA and 36:33 K:BB over 44.1 frames. The 33-year-old will likely need to accept a minor-league contract as he seeks employment in a new organization.

Leonard went 1-for-3 with a double in Wednesday's 6-0 loss to the Rangers.

After making his big-league debut in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers, Leonard collected his first major-league hit Wednesday, a double to left field in the second inning. The versatile 25-year-old was called up from Triple-A Sacramento following a busy trade deadline for San Francisco; however, Victor Bericoto (oblique) began his rehab assignment Wednesday, so Leonard isn't guaranteed to remain with the parent club for an extended period.

Bericoto (oblique) went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Triple-A Sacramento's 13-10 extra-innings loss to Round Rock on Wednesday.

Bericoto has been on the 10-day injured list since July 10 due to a left oblique strain, though he appears to be nearing a return to the majors after beginning a rehab assignment Thursday. The 24-year-old outfielder lined a double to center field in the first inning before coming around to score. He also collected an RBI on a groundout in the second. Before landing on the IL, Bericoto slashed .293/.305/.552 with nine RBI, seven runs scored, four long balls and a stolen base across 59 plate appearances with the Giants.

House went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's extra-innings win over the Phillies.

Jorbit Vivas got the start at third base Wednesday with right-hander Andrew Painter on the mound for Philly, but House came off the bench in the seventh inning to face southpaw Brooks Raley and launched a game-tying homer to the opposite field. House may be falling into a short-side platoon role, but Vivas isn't exactly doing much to earn a consistent spot in the lineup with a .519 OPS, zero home runs and zero steals since the beginning of July. House's own numbers suggest he's better suited for his current usage, however -- he sports a .355/.412/.597 slash line against lefties this season, but a .174/.220/.318 line against righties.